Tesla’s Model S Plaid outperformed Porsche Taycan Turbo S to reclaim the Nurburgring lap record for a production electric car in Germany on Friday.
According to Tesla, the Track Package-equipped Model S Plaid finished a 12.94-mile lap in just 7 minutes and 25.231 seconds. That result topped the Porsche Taycan Turbo S’ 2022 record by >8 seconds.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk took his delight to Twitter on this significant achievement.
“Congrats Tesla Plaid racing team!”
Tesla CEO Elon Musk
What’s the Track Package?
Tesla’s Track Package for the Model S Plaid vehicle includes a new set of tires, brakes, and a maximum speed surpassing 200 mph.
CarBuzz indicated that the Track Package offers the following features:
- carbon ceramic brake kit
- 20-inch aluminum forged wheels in Goodyear Supercar 3R tires
- track-ready brake fluid
- new carbon-silicon carbide rotors
- one-piece, forged calipers with high-performance pads
Remarkably, the Tesla Model S Plaid reached speeds as high as 179.5 mph on Friday, setting a new lap record.
As you can see in the video attached to the Tweet above, the vehicle has a round steering wheel instead of a steering yoke from the older version in 2021.
Tesla vs. Porsche
In recent years, the title of “king of the Nürburgring track among production EVs” has alternated between Tesla and Porsche.
At the renowned testing facility in 2019, Porsche used its Taycan electric car to achieve a new lap record.
After then, in 2021, the Model S Plaid won with a time of 7 minutes and 35.579 seconds, beating the Taycan’s record by 7 seconds.
In 2022, Porsche reclaimed the top spot after outpacing Tesla’s time by two seconds with its Taycan Turbo S, equipped with its own “performance” package.
In a podcast with Joe Rogan, CEO Musk previously stated the audacious ambition for Tesla to complete the Nürburgring in under 7 minutes in 2021.
“We’re trying to get to, on the Nurburgring, get to the low-7-minute mark. And then, with further improvements, I think we could bust 7 minutes on the Nurburgring, which would be a pretty wicked act on its own.”
Tesla CEO Elon Musk
With the Model S Plaid’s latest record, CEO Musk’s ambition in 2021 comes to fruition.
See Also:
- American YouTuber reviews Tesla Model S PLAID
- Tesla Model S Plaid reportedly arrives in Europe
- Porsche to make new Taycan with tri-motor configuration to compete with Tesla Model S Plaid
- Tesla Model S & X Plaid land in Germany for customer deliveries
- Europe: Tesla starts Model S/X Plaid test drives
Tesla offers the Track Package for $20,000. The package not only enhances performance but improves the feel of the brake pedal, which is advantageous for regular driving.
We might anticipate Porsche retaliating with yet another attempt now that Musk has taken back the crown.
